Improvement in gates



diritta gieten aient dttjlirr.'

JOI-IN PO0L,0F ELIZABETH GITY,'NORTH CAROLINA.

Letters Patent No. 111,676, dated February 7,1871.

IMPROVEMENT-IN. GATES.

The' Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and mking part of the same.

To allichom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHNv POOL, of ElizabethCity, in the county of Pasquotank and State of North Garolina, have invented new *and usefullmprovements in Gates; and I do herebyv declare the following to be' a lligure l is a-,longitudiual view, partlyin section, of

the-gate illustrating my invention. Y

Figure 2 isa transverse View, partly vin section.

Figures 3 and-.4 are views of detached parts.

Similar" letters of reference indicate corresponding parts-ini the severalv figures.

This 'invention is an improvement in the gate for which Letters Patent were. granted to me July 12, 1870, and numbered 105,36

v It consists in hinging orhanging the gate to a rocking-beam, which is operated by an oscillating lever, through the medium of theplatforms and intermediate connections, and having a latch Aso combined with the rocking-beam as that the gate will shut with certainty.

It also consists in a notched band, which operates in connection with the aforesaid latch.

It also consists in the arrangement, abovel the latches which hold the gate open, of inclinedrods, against which the boltofthe gate strikes when'the gateis raised for shutting purposes, so as to give a propelling force toward closing.

It also consists in the combinationof various parts, as will be hereafter set forth.

In the drawing- -A may represent a flooring or the ground, to which are secured, or in which are implanted, the gate-post B and latch-post C. l

D represents the'gate proper, which may be of any form and construction, and is hung to a rocking-beam, E, whose lower end is hinged toa block or post arisingjfrom the ground or ooring A.

A washer, l), may be inserted between the gate-post B and the beam E, in order to separate them and provide a free space for the oscillations of a lever, F, which is hinged, as 'at b', to the gate-post B, and receives motion from rods c c, which extend from posts ll (l, secured to the hinged platforms G G, which are'depressed by theweight of the person, vehicle, or animal passing over them.

Aprons H H are hinged to theplatforms, to facilitate ascent thereto. A

At the top of the rocking-beam, I arrange a latch, J, which, by preference, is of T-shape, and has an eye at the rear or bottom, through which passes a pin, K,

which is jointed to the upperl end of the oscillating beam E.

.A band, L, is secured t-o the upper portion of the 'gate-post B, and is so shaped or bent, as to surround the upper end of the beam E, and form a bearing-'for fthe head of the latch 1J Notches e care formed on the upper edge of the band, for purposes to be presently explained. y

In the oscillating lever F -I provide a inortise, f, into which projects and plays a pin, g,secui'ed to the rocking-beam E. e

It 'will be secnthat the depression of the'platforms will move the oscillating lever'lll .lhis moves the rocking-beam E, and throws the gate out of center by means of the pin g on said beamacting against the v4lever in the mortise'f, The pin has vertical and lateral playin said mortise, in order to give the required' l motion tothe T-latch at the proper time. It the play is one inch, then the lever will move" one inch before it begins to move the beam. This independent motion raises thc T-latch out of .the notch on the bandv L before the beam is required to move, and thus rcvleases it from the catch or hold which the latchgives it.

This is the operation of starting, but as the beam inovcs to the other side of the band, the latch turns and also mores. It then catches inthe notch on the other side of the baud, and thereby holds the beam in its new position until the oscillating lever is again moved in thc opposite direction; then it raises the latch and releases the beam, as it did Ion the other side, before the beam is moved. This feature of the latch and its operatiouis necessary to shut the gate with certainty. i

If a conveyance oi' otherwise, passing, should stop on oncof the platforms and remain until the gate is shut, the latch would not be necessary; but when a conveyance or otherwise passes quickly over the platvforin, (the gate 'being open,) and leaves it before the gate is well advanced toward closing, the weight of the gate will throw back the beam on which it is hung, and the gate thus fails to close unless caught or held by the T-latch, as stated.

It is desirable that the hinged pin onethe top ot the oscillating beam`should pass freely through/the eye iny the T-latch, in order to prcventjamxning ofthe parts.

M represents the-catcli-latches, which operate simi-v lai-ly to those-shown in my former .Letters Patent. Upon the gate opening, its'bolt N strikes one of the said latches M,.,\vhich gives, sov that the bolt rides over it and then drops behind it.-

In closing the gate, it is raised clear ofthe latch by the operation 4of the platform, beam,ilever,` and connecting parts, and in order to assist and insure the operation of shuttiu g, I arrange above the latch catches M, upwardly and forwardly-projecting rods O, they use of which is as follows x Vhen the gate is raised, in order to be closed, its bolt N strikes against one of the inclined reds, which gives it aquick propellingr force toward closing. rlhis will be found especially useful ,when the wind sets strongly against the closing of the gate. Thus the rising ofthe gate in start-ing to close is made available to give it a quick and forcible thrust forward.

In the post G there are located the latches l), which lhold the gate in a closed state. Each latch consists of two pieces hinged together, the upper piece of which, being connected to a piece of wire, cord, or otherwise, to levers Q, .which are piveted to the sides of the post C. lhc lower pieces er 1feet extend into the way R, which is cnt or formed in the post for the passage of the boltN of the gate, and the ends drop into sockets at the base of said way, whereby the latches hold the gate firmly closed.

The upper and lower edges of the way are strength- -ened or reinforced by bands S, which are quite servien able, owing to the tendency of the wood-work around and about the way 1t to break away, in consequence of the strain thereon. A

The feet ofthe latches swing inwardly, so that they oHer no resist-ance to the bolt of the gate when the latter closes, but hold it from opening, unless the latches are raised. This is accomplished either by means ofthe levers Q, which may be operated by a lever, T, which is pivoted to the inner side of the post G, so as to be within convenient reach cfa person mounted or afoot; or by cross-rod U, connected to the levers V, which latter are arranged longitudinal-ly with the base A, and pivoted thereto.

The outer ends of said leversV are raised by wheeltrips V, and may he weighted to insure theI return of said levers to their normal position, that is, when the latches are down or closed.

The wagon-trips are hinged to the base A and to the levers V, and are s0 constructed and located that the wheels ot vehicies will strike them and thus raise the respect-ive latch, in order to open the gate.

It will thus bc seen that persons on horseback, foot,v

or in eonveyances, are enabled to open the gate without dificulty or inconvenience.

. Having thus described my invention,

vThat I claim as new, and desire to secure l. The oscillating lever ll, carrying the latehJ, in combination with the rocking-beam E, applied and eperatiug together, substantially as andfor theourpese described.

2. The hand L, formed with notches e e, in combination' with the latch J, jointed to the lever F, and operating in connection with the beam E, to which the gate is hinged, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. rlhe projecting rods O, in combination with the by Letbclt N of the gate, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

4. rlhe wheel-.trips W, platforms G, levers V, latches l), and hand-lever T, arranged and operating with the gate D, substantially as andfor the purpose' described.

The above signed by me this 31st day of November, 1870.

JOHN POOL.

Witnesses O2. W. GRANDY, Jr., FRANK VAUGHAN. 

